Modern integrated circuits are designed using programmed computers. Such computers are conventionally programmed with Electronic Design Automation (EDA) and Electronic Computer-Aided Design (ECAD) tools (generally referred to as EDA tools). EDA tools process an abstract representation of a circuit design into a physical representation of the circuit design that can be implemented using integrated circuitry. For example, a circuit design may be specified by a designer using a hardware description language (HDL), such as the very high speed integrated circuit hardware description language (VHDL) or VERILOG.
Programmable logic devices (PLDs) exist as a well-known type of integrated circuit (IC) that may be programmed by a user to perform specified logic functions. There are different types of programmable logic devices, such as programmable logic arrays (PLAs) and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs). One type of programmable logic device, known as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), is very popular because of a superior combination of capacity, flexibility, time-to-market, and cost.
An FPGA typically includes an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs) surrounded by a ring of programmable input/output blocks (IOBs). The CLBs and IOBs are interconnected by a programmable interconnect structure. An FPGA may also include various dedicated logic circuits, such as memories, digital clock managers (DCMs), and input/output (I/O) transceivers. Notably, an FPGA may include one or more embedded processors. The programmable logic of an FPGA (e.g., CLBs, IOBs, and interconnect structure) is typically programmed by loading a stream of configuration data (known as a bitstream) into internal configuration memory cells. The states of the configuration memory cells define how the CLBs, IOBs, interconnect structure, and other programmable logic are configured. Some FPGAs include support for run-time partial reconfiguration, which provides the ability to alter the behavior of portions of a circuit configured in an active FPGA. Partial reconfiguration is useful in systems that must support a wide range of optional behavior, only a subset of which is operational at any point in time.
Typically, circuits are designed for implementation in an FPGA using an HDL. However, present HDLs are only capable of describing a circuit that is static, that is, a circuit whose function is fully described at design time. Thus, in present design flows, it is very challenging to model dynamic circuits that use run-time reconfiguration. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for modeling, analysis, and implementation of a circuit designed to use run-time reconfiguration capabilities of a PLD.